Gj. Duncan et al., LONE-PARENT FAMILIES IN THE UNITED-STATES - DYNAMICS, ECONOMIC-STATUSAND DEVELOPMENTAL CONSEQUENCES, Population, 49(6), 1994, pp. 1419-1435
More than one-third of all children born in th United States in the mi
d-1970s spent at least part of their childhoods living in female-heade
d families. Such family structures are found to be transitory in many
cases, especially among whites. Family incomes are substantially reduc
ed during the time children spend in female-headed families. Access to
time or money help from friends or relatives is no more likely in one
-parent families. Children in mother-only families do worse along a nu
mber of developmental dimensions. In the case of cognitive development
but not behavior problems, economic differences account for the bulk
of the family structure effects.